The Blood To Be Repaid
by Ms. Kirby
Summary: Aragorn has returned to Gondor's throne; bringing with him and an age of peace. Nilla has no intent on celebrating. Her intent is much more sinister. Her intent is to deliver a long awaited punishment. Her intent is to take from him what he took from her: the person he loves most. However, when Arwen falls beyond her grasp, Nilla's eye falls upon the young son of Thranduil instead.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or any of the other characters, items, or places that you recognize from Tolkien's work. They all belong to him and rightly so. I am simply borrowing them for a little while and I promise to return them when I'm done. However, I cannot promise they will be in one piece *evil laugh*. **

Chapter 1

Everything was falling into place as Nilla waited in the alley outside of the busy tavern. The streets of Minas Tirith were lively with festivities as the good people of Gondor celebrated the end of the war, the return of their king, and his marriage to the Lady Arwen. For so long these people wondered if they would ever find reason to rejoice and feel safe again. The threat of Sauron cut deep into the hearts of the Gondorian people, and finally it felt as though their suffering and spilled blood had not been in vain. Sauron had fallen, and tonight everyone intended to celebrate King Aragorn and the age of peace that he brought with him for Gondor and its neighboring lands.

Everyone that is, except for Nilla. Her intent was quite the opposite. Her intent was much more sinister. Her intent was not to celebrate the King, but to deliver onto him a dark and long awaited punishment. To her, Aragorn was not a man who deserved praise or honour. He was a despicable creature who had ended the life of her husband. Aragorn, or Strider as she had known him previously, had taken away the person she loved most in this world, and after years of patience and plotting, Nilla was finally in the position she needed to be in order to do the exact same thing to him.

"Where have you been, woman?" asked Kalu as he placed a rough hand on Nilla's shoulder and spun her around. His voice was harsh and louder than usual. Nilla was also immediately aware of the smell of liquor on his breath. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Nilla raised an eyebrow at this. "I have been in this alley since 7:30, as that was the time we had arranged" she responded in a matching tone of voice. "Perhaps if you had not preoccupied yourself with the ten pints of ale you smell of, you may have found me sooner."

Kalu took a step forward and allowed his large burly frame to back the much smaller woman against the wall. To further try and intimidate, he placed both of his hands flat against the wall on either side of Nilla's head as he spoke again. "You said we should raise no suspicion, remember? Waiting around in some abandoned alley in the dark is suspicious. Enjoying a beverage or two with your comrades is the opposite. It helps you blend in, and people forget those who blend in" he spoke as he would to a child, and he smiled when he saw the frustrated look on the face of the woman in front of him. "I want you to remember something. You came to me. You need my services and the services of my men. Services, let me remind you, that you have yet to fully pay for."

Nilla returned his words with a smile of her own. Regardless of what Kalu might think, she was not intimidated by him at all. In fact, while she needed him at the moment, he was a man that she thought even less of than Aragorn. At least the king had a sense of loyalty. Kalu had been a low level guard in the palace, having served under Denethor for many years until he was transferred to serve in Osgiliath, along with several others. The order had come from Aragorn at Faramir's bidding. Faramir had insisted that Kalu and these other soldiers might be resistant to falling in line directly under Aragorn, as they held a strong loyalty to the former steward. That being said, they were a strong bunch, who knew the routines and layout of the palace. As Faramir predicted, they were also lacking a loyalty to Aragorn, which made them all the more willing to assist with Nilla's plot.

"Not to worry, Kalu" she replied in much more sweet and sultry tone as she ran her hands slowly down the forearms of the man in front of her. "You will be paid the rest of the promised price after my instructions have been carried out." The man still looked a little unsure, but she could tell that he enjoyed her new demeanour as she continued to run her hands up his shoulders and down his chest as she spoke. "You have my word" she whispered softly as she moved in closer, as though to kiss him.

"What worth is the word of woman?" he chuckled. If he offended her with this comment, she showed no sign of it. Instead she seemed to smile more and moved even closer to him.

"My word is worth more than you can imagine" she said simply. "And I can assure you, that if you and your men are successful, you will get all that you deserve and more."

Kalu smiled big now, oblivious to the fact that their positions had been switched and he now stood with his back against the wall. "And what more will I get, may I ask?"

Nilla paused, as her eyes bore into his own with a burning heat that he mistook for passion. "You will get much more than gold, that I can assure you" she swore, "much more." And just as a young man passed by the alley and glanced at them, she leaned in and kissed Kalu to seal her promise. "See," she said with another smile, "I know how to blend in too. Now remember, you and your men are to follow my instructions to the letter, and be in place at exactly 9:15 in two nights' time. There can be no mistakes, so leave the drinking until afterwards this time." And with that she pulled away and started back down the alley, in the direction of the palace.

"I know the plan" Kalu called out to her. "If there are mistakes, it will not come from our end." He shook his head as he noted that she didn't even look back before she disappeared into the night. "She's a real piece of work," he thought to himself; sinfully gorgeous, with long curly black hair and piercing green eyes, but a piece of work. In fact, he was a little surprised she hadn't written out the instructions for them with detailed notes and a map to match. "Maybe she finally gets that we don't need..." his thought was halted as his hand felt a folded piece of parchment in his coat pocket that had not been there before. He growled, not needing to open it to know exactly what it was. "See you at 9:15, wench" he snorted before heading back into the tavern.

* * *

"You are not very good at this, mellon nin" Legolas laughed as he and Aragorn stumbled into the guest room with their drunken friend carried between them. The elf's words were met with a grumble as they, not so gently, lowered the passed out dwarf onto the bed.

"I have faced many difficult and daunting tasks in my lifetime, Legolas" Aragorn replied as he began to remove the dwarf's boots before getting frustrated and abandoning the idea. "However, one thing I will admit to having little practise with is putting a dwarf to bed. Especially a heavy dwarf that has spent the entire night trying to out-drink you."

Legolas feigned innocence, with a hurt look on his ageless face. "You are blaming me for his condition? That is hardly a fair judgment, as I was not the one who initiated the competition." The elf's statement was returned with a shake of the new king's head.

"Regardless, if you and Gimli intend on spending the oncoming year in merry travel companionship, I do not recommend this becoming a regular occurrence" Aragorn advised, as both friends broke out heavy grins. "Or else putting a dwarf to bed will become something you are very, very good at. And I can only imagine what your father might say in response to that being added to your list of talents."

The two friends broke out into laughter for the hundredth time that night. It had been an evening full of good food, good friends, cheerful reminiscing, and of course, lots of good wine. It had been just under a week since Aragorn's coronation, and while most of the members of the fellowship were planning on departing from Gondor soon, all of them was relishing in each other's company. There was no question that it would be quite a bit of time before they were all together again, and so it was also known to all of them as well that they should cherish the time they had. While it did feel somewhat bittersweet that one member of their fellowship was missing, it eased all of their hearts to have Faramir in his place, as he represented his brother well.

"It seems that neither of you are very good at this" came the calming voice of Arwen as she appeared in the lightened doorway. Both Aragorn and Legolas looked somewhat guilty as the daughter of Elrond proceeded to place a soft blanket over the sleeping dwarf before turning her eyes back to them. "You have put him to bed but now threaten to wake him with your laughter" she chided, with a hint of a smile on her lips. "Now out; both of you. Let him sleep."

"Forgive me, Arwen" Legolas began as she shut the door behind them. "I should have known better. It seems I have spent far too much time with discourteous mortals who have done nothing but impart their bad behaviours onto me." Aragorn smacked him on the back of head in reply.

"I do believe that you are just as guilty as your friends are, son of Thranduil" she responded with a small laugh. Legolas looked offended, and Aragorn grinned with satisfaction.

"And I do believe that you are biased, Milady" came the elf's reply.

"I would not have it any other way" Aragorn added before placing a loving kiss on his beloved's lips.

"Nor would I" Arwen agreed. "Now, if you will both excuse me, it is well past the eleven o'clock hour and I think that I will retire for the night." After Legolas wished her a pleasant night, and Aragorn promised to join her shortly, Arwen continued down the hall towards the royal chambers. Once she reached her room, she silently began to remove the pins that held her hair back and let her tresses fall delicately around her face. It was then that she saw the figure emerge from the balcony. It was one of her ladies in waiting.

"Milady," greeted the woman with a polite bow of her head. "I have turned down the sheets and lit the candles on the terrace for you." This was a common thing for her ladies to do, as Arwen enjoyed spending at least a few minutes on the balcony before retiring for the night. "Is there anything else that I can do for you before I retire?"

"No, there is nothing else. You may go" Arwen replied with a smile. "Thank you for all of your help" she added, as she began to walk towards the balcony.

"The pleasure is all mine," came the reply. "Good night, Milady."

"Good night, Nilla."

_To be continued..._

**Author's Note:**** A big thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this chapter. I'm really excited about this story, as it has been in my head for a long time. I have never written a story like this before, and I hope I do my ideas justice. Please let me know what you think by leaving me a review. **

**I hope to have the next chapter up within a day or so, and I can guarantee that things will not remain cheerful for Aragorn and his loved ones for very long. Not if Nilla has anything to say about it. See you again (hopefully) in Chapter 2!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or any of the other characters, items, or places that you recognize. Just borrowing, and no money shall be made by it. All I'm getting out of this is enjoyment, and perhaps a review or two. **_

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter. I'm over the moon to see that several of you have even decided to favourite this story or become a follower of it. I also wanted to send a special thank you to those who left me a review, and I invite you to see my personal responses to you at the end of this chapter.**

**I'm sorry it took me a little longer than I expected to update. We ended up taking my dad camping for Father's Day weekend, and I spent the time fishing, climbing (and falling out of) trees, and telling ghost stories around the campfire rather than writing. However, I am back home now, and I plan to update VERY regularly from here on out. Anyways, enough chit-chat. On with the story...**

**Chapter 2**

"When do you think we shall see them again, lad?" asked Gimli as he and his three friends sat mounted on their steed at the Gondorian gates.

Aragorn shook his head and willed the frown to leave his face. "I do not know for sure" he answered as they watched the five figures ride off into the distance. "It could be many years before we see those brave hobbits again."

"Well, let us hope that it is not too far away" replied the dwarf in a hopeful tone. After a moment or two of silence, he spoke again. "I hate to see them ride off alone."

At hearing this, Legolas turned his head to smile at the dwarf seated behind him atop of Arod. "Not to worry, Gimli" the elf assured. "Lord Elrond rides with them until they pass the borders of Imladris. They are in the best of company." The two friends then began to _discuss _whether an elf or a dwarf would be the more ideal traveling companion for such a journey home.

Aragorn smirked as he began to lead his friends back towards to the palace halls. The elf and dwarf would be leaving in two days time, and while it grieved him to know that he would soon lose these two as well, it warmed his heart to hear their voices with him now. His contentment was soon put on pause as he noticed the wizard in their company had grown increasingly quiet as he rode beside him. "You seem troubled" was all he said, in hopes of getting Gandalf to speak.

"Hmm" was the short reply from the wizard, and for a moment, Aragorn did not think he would speak again. The newly crowned king of men was about to inquire again, when Gandalf met his eyes. "I find myself growing concerned" he explained.

Aragorn frowned at this. "Concerned? Regarding what? Frodo?"

Gandalf thought for a moment. "Yes…partially" he answered slowly, as if unsure how to answer. "It is true that Frodo is, and may always be, deeply changed by what he has gone through as the Ringbearer. It does trouble me to think of how this will affect the rest of his life." Gandalf became silent for a time after this, but because Aragorn could tell that the wizard had more to say, he allowed his old friend the time he needed to collect his words before speaking again. "However my concern is birthed from something else… something that looms close by… something that waits."

The wizard's words caused a spike of worry to enter Aragorn's heart. A warning from Gandalf was not something to ignore; even if it was just a birthing concern. "What do you suspect this _something _you speak of might be?" he asked, hoping to get his friend to elaborate.

"I am not sure" answered Gandalf sadly. "Yet, we must be careful, Aragorn. For I feel as though a wolf may be watching, waiting for the deer to feel overly secure."

"Gondor has been the prey for far too long, old friend" Aragorn responded with determination in his voice. "I will bear in mind your growing concern; for I will not allow a hunter of any kind to make sport of this city and its people."

Gandalf smiled at his human companion. _'Yes'_ he thought, _'this role suits him well.'_

* * *

The light of the following morning woke Nilla and brought an immediate smile to her face. She lay there in bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and stretched her arms and legs out with a big yawn. "Today is the day" she said to herself, still smiling.

As she sat up and swung her long legs over the side of the bed she looked down at the gold band around her finger. The ring was her wedding band, of a marriage long ago; one that had ended tragically in the streets of a small town near Harad. Looking down at her ring she fingered the small alteration she had made to it. She had added a small red stone to the band, and she smiled as she envisioned in her mind what it would later be used for. For unbeknownst to anyone else, the small stone hid a dark weapon. Inside was a small needle point doused in poison.

"Today, my love," she began again, still fingering the stone, "today he will finally feel our vengeance."

Nilla rose from the bed and quickly got herself ready for the day. After throwing on a simple, but pretty, purple dress, she hummed a soft song to herself as she undid the twists in which she had tied up her hair as she slept. The untied strands fell loose and formed the curls that she had become accustomed to seeing these days. The curls, she thought, made her features much softer, and gave her a sense of youth and innocence; two things she was not.

Truth be told, Nilla was neither innocent nor young. Her innocence had died long ago through bloodshed and the growing hatred in her heart, and her years far exceeded even that of Legolas; though very few were aware of this. An immortal, she was, belonging to a race of people that had long since faded into myth and legend. However, that information she had kept secret since arriving in Gondor several years ago. It was a secret she had kept in order to keep her identity a secret; a secret that would reveal itself in due time.

For now, Nilla had to concentrate on the task at hand. Vengeance was close, but it still required her full attention in order for it to successfully be pulled off. Kalu and his men would be waiting for her at exactly 9:15 in the location she had specified. They would be waiting for her to deliver the incapacitated body of the Elven Queen, which they would then transfer to the next location that she had specified. It was a simple plan for them to follow, and the payment she offered was more than enough of an incentive for them. The tricky part would be getting the Queen in the incapacitated state, while so many loved ones looked on.

Nilla's plan was brilliant, and she smiled at the thought of it. Arwen had been distressed at the departure of her father the day before. While she had been overjoyed to be reunited with Aragorn, and she managed to do a fine job of hiding her sadness, it was clear to those that looked close enough that she had taken a wound at seeing her father leave. Nilla knew that Arwen would seek solitude tonight, and allow her husband some time alone with the friends that would be departing soon as well. This would be her opportunity to get the Queen alone. She was in the perfect position to do so. Being one of the Queen's ladies, it would seem natural for her to offer Arwen a shoulder in a time of upset. She would veil herself as a confidant, and strike while the Queen was vulnerable.

* * *

The day flew by faster than anyone had expected it to, and Aragorn was beginning to realize just how much work went into being the King of Gondor. Reconciliation treaties, military formations, strategies for rebuilding damaged parts of the city; all of these had been tackled before lunch, and there was still more work to be done. Rebuilding a world without Sauron and maintaining an age of peace was going to be a long journey; and when it finally came for him to join his beloved and dear friends for a private meal in the royal chambers, he could not have been more thrilled.

"You look worse than the dwarf, mellon nin" Legolas teased as he watched the man collapse onto the couch next to Arwen. Gimli grumbled a retort, but his mouth was so full of roasted pork that none were able to decipher it.

"And you, dear friend, look so content that it actually annoys me" came Aragorn's rather pathetic attempt at a comeback. The elf had positioned himself on the open window ledge, arms folded neatly behind his golden head and legs casually laid out in front of him along the pane.

"I am quite content actually" Legolas replied as he allowed his eyes to close in complete relaxation. "The breeze is assisting in overpowering the smell of Gimli's feet." His statement earned him the title of "target" as the dwarf picked up several cherries from the table and whipped them at him. Legolas was about to retaliate when Arwen insisted that making a mess was not going to be tolerated in her quarters. The dwarf immediately looked guilty, and Legolas went back to his lounging state with a cocky grin on his lips.

Aragorn shook his head, and Gandalf smiled as he lit his pipe. The wizard sat in a chair across from the King and Queen, and he looked at the tired man fondly before speaking. "Exhaustion is a small price to pay for the good you will do now that you have returned to the throne, dear boy" he explained with sincerity in his voice as Nilla entered the room with tray of tea for the friends to share. Her actions were met with a set of appreciative words before she moved on to ready the royal sleeping chambers.

"I agree with you, Gandalf" Aragorn replied earnestly. "However, that being said, I still appreciate your offer to remain in Gondor until the first frost. Your presence is of great comfort to us both" he continued, referring to himself and his lovely new bride.

"I am happy to be of any service that I can be" answered Gandalf, before Gimli interrupted the wizard's train of thought by insisting that he try some of the salted chicken.

Aragorn was about to fill himself a dinner plate when he noted the way Arwen kept glancing in the direction of the open window that Legolas sat in. For a moment he thought to tease her, and inquire why her eyes sought the elf's form when her husband was right next to her. However, he hesitated as he sensed the pain she was feeling radiate from her.

"Are you well?" he asked quietly, concern in his eyes. Arwen turned to face him, and allowed a smile to grace her lips as she nuzzled into him.

"I am well" she replied in a soft tone. "Forgive me, Aragorn. The leaving of my father has put a melancholy upon my mood this night."

Aragorn placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. "There is nothing to forgive, my love" he assured. There was no threat that Arwen regretted her decision to stay with him, that Aragorn knew for sure; however, beginning a new life in a world of men would be a transition for his beloved, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to help her with it. "Anything that I can do to ease your heart, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Oh how she loved him. Arwen placed another kiss upon her husband's lips. "Thank you" she replied. "With that in mind, I think that I might leave you boys to your evening alone."

'_There's my cue' _thought Nilla from her place in the sleeping quarters as she watched Arwen move to her feet.

"If you wish to sleep, we can move to another room, Milady" suggested Gimli as he quickly rose to his feet as well. He was waved down by Arwen with a smile.

"No, no, that will not be necessary" she insisted. "I actually thought that I might take a short walk through the gardens. It is a beautiful night after all."

Nilla was overjoyed. She began to walk towards the gathered friends and was about to offer her company to the Queen, when Legolas stood as well. His eyes were open now, and directed to the city below as he spoke.

"Forgive me, Arwen, but it seems that you will not have the opportunity for solitude this night."

'_What? What is that supposed to mean?' _Nilla wanted to demand as she shot the elf a death stare.

Arwen and the others were also baffled by Legolas' words. "What makes you say that, Legolas?" the daughter of Elrond questioned as she walked over to the window and allowed her eyes to follow the direction he pointed out to her. After a moment, a giant grin appeared as she turned back around and faced the others in the room. "I cannot believe it" she exclaimed. "They have arrived."

"Who has?" Aragorn asked the very question that Nilla wanted to ask as well.

Arwen's smile grew even larger than before. "Elladan and Elrohir. My brothers are riding through the city as we speak. They will be here momentarily." Excitement mirrored on the face of Aragorn at this news. The twins were not expected for at least another month or so. This was certainly a surprise. He and the others instantly gathered themselves and made for the main hall in order to greet the newcomers when they arrived, leaving a stunned Nilla behind in the royal chambers.

It was 8 o'clock and the Queen was about to greet the brothers that she had not laid eyes on in nearly a year. Brothers who would no doubt stay by Arwen's side far past the 9:15 timeframe Nilla had planned on. "Well this is certainly going to complicate things" she exclaimed out loud in frustration as she rushed out of the chambers with her mind racing. She now had just over an hour to formulate a new plan that allowed her to still accomplish the task she had been plotting for nearly a decade.

Time was ticking.

To be continued...

**Author's Note: ****Well there you have it. The race is on and Nilla is going to have to make some adjustments to her plan if she wants to still take revenge upon Aragorn. I know that many of you may have questions about who Nilla is, what race she belongs to, and what happened between Aragorn and her husband. Don't worry. All of those answers will come in time. As for me, I am off. Look for the next chapter to be up very soon. Thanks again for reading, and please review. I sure do like reviews. **

**Personal Notes to my reviewers:**

_**Note to MaidMarian17**_: Thanks for your review. I know, I did leave it at a bit of a cliff-hanger, and I kinda did the same here. I'm glad that you're liking the story so far. As for your question about Nilla's husband... well I don't want to give that away just yet. That will be revealed later on in the story, as Aragorn will be forced to ask that very same question as well in the near future. Just hang with me and you'll find out eventually *evil laugh*.

_**Note to LemonBread:**_ Thank you so much! I hope that you like this chapter just as much (if not more). I'm excited for the plot to start picking up, and I'm excited to hear what you think as we go forward.

_**Note to quaff:**_ I really appreciate your comment! Thank you for reading my story. I'm glad to have captured your interest. I also hope to hear if I've managed to keep you entertained.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or any of the other characters, items, or places that you recognize. I am simply borrowing them for a little while and I promise to return them when I'm done. **

**Author's Note:**** Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed or made this story a favourite. I know it took a little longer than I planned to get this chapter posted, but I've had some computer problems and I had to rewrite a large portion of it. I did make this a lot longer than it was originally, so I hope that makes up for the time it took between chapter 2 and this one. **

**Anyways, enough chit-chat. On with the chapter...**

**Chapter 3**

Nilla's mind was going a mile a second as she watched the seven companions laugh and socialize with one another. The twins had come through the door of the main hall with the brightest of smiles and they were met with a hurricane of excitement from the Queen and the others. The reunion was a merry one, and it was almost immediately moved back to Aragorn's chambers so the friends could enjoy themselves away from the prying eyes of curious palace workers. All except for Nilla, who upon Arwen's dismissal for the night, offered to ready the twins' guest room and bring in refreshments before she took her leave. It was all Nilla could do in order to keep a grasp on the situation; regardless of how loose her grasp was becoming.

"It's my pleasure Milady" she had insisted with a forced smile as her eyes shot daggers through the sons of Elrond.

She had to restrain herself from growling as she set the trays of fruit and sandwiches on the table between the twins and their sister. She knew without a doubt that these siblings would not be separating any time soon, and it didn't help that Gimli and Gandalf seemed equally as interested in keeping the conversation going. Her plan was deteriorating before her very eyes, and all she could do to keep from screaming in frustration was to take her time arranging the refreshments as she rummaged her brain for a way to salvage it.

An opportunity needed to present itself soon. Nilla closed her eyes with worry when she noted the time. 8:30.

"_A little help, my love"_ she prayed silently to her husband. _"Just a little help." _

* * *

"You're an odd pair" Gimli announced as Elladan finished retelling the tale of the time that he had to save his matching sibling from a river raft that he had become trapped on with only the company of a very angry large cat. "How you are related to these two, I fail to understand" he added, speaking to Arwen, whose mood had lighted intensely since her brothers' arrival.

"I wonder that myself as well at times" Arwen replied with a grin as Elrohir wrapped his arm around her in a teasing but loving way.

"The beauty and brains had to go to one of them" Aragorn chimed in, earning himself a smack from Elladan and a laugh from the others.

"Well what we may lack in beauty, we make up for in strength and bravery, do we not?" the older twin responded in a dignified tone. Elrohir raised a glass in agreement.

"Bravery? Humph" Gimli interjected with a snort. "I seem to remember you elves being quite scared of the dark during our time on the Paths of the Dead."

The twins shot him matching glares. "This coming from the dwarf who reached out to grasp my hand during that very outing" came the response from Elrohir.

Gimli looked mortified and insulted at the same time as he argued that this was a case of elves lying through their teeth. Elladan quickly answered by attempting to get Legolas to back up their story. The archer simply laughed and shook his head after Gandalf warned him that he might need Gimli's protection if they planned to go visiting dwarven halls at any time in the near or distant future.

"Fine! Side with the dwarf, Legolas" Elladan exclaimed. "Betray your own kind why don't you!"

"I knew he had intelligence hidden deep inside of him somewhere" Gimli added with a proud grin.

Legolas smiled as the topic of conversation moved along. He watched as the twins fell into deep conversation with their sister while Gimli and Gandalf began to discuss the many varieties of pipe weed. Legolas' eyes then traveled over to a nearby table where Aragorn stood to pour himself a cup of tea. He quickly moved to join the man.

"I will take some if you are offering."

Aragorn felt his friend come up beside him, and nodded as he poured the elf some of the tea that Nilla had set out for them. He laughed when Legolas frowned at only receiving one spoonful of sugar in his drink. As the former ranger added another heaping spoonful he couldn't help but tease his friend. "You know, for an elf you have developed quite the sweet tooth."

"And for a king with more on his plate than he wishes to admit, you have developed a keen interest in my drink preferences" came the elf's humoured reply.

"Well, keep in mind that you will have to make do without it when you and Gimli begin your travels abroad" Aragorn answered. His comment was meant in jest, but Legolas was able to detect the small tinge of sadness in his tone; even more so when the man spoke again. "You do still mean to depart tomorrow, do you not?"

Legolas didn't answer right away. Aragorn was stirring his own tea and not meeting his eyes with his own. Yes, there was sadness there. And something else too; but the elf was having a bit of difficulty pinning down exactly what it was. "We can stay on for a few more weeks if you'd like" the elf began to suggest. "I was not kidding when I said that you have more on your plate than you want to..."

"No, no. That's not necessary," Aragorn interrupted. "It is not your assistance I will miss, mellon nin." He placed a hand on the elf's shoulder and met his eyes finally. "I will simply miss your company; that is all."

It finally clicked. Legolas knew what it was that he was sensing in his friend. It was the sense of being left behind. The elf returned the simple gesture and placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder as well. "I will miss yours as well, Aragorn" he assured sincerely before the elf found himself being pulled into what felt like a bear hug.

"Travel safe, my brother" Aragorn insisted as he released the elf. "And return before I am an old man."

"You are already an old man" the elf jested, earning himself a cold look. "But yes, I will return as soon as my father allows."

"No doubt Thranduil will keep you under house arrest for some time before he lets you leave his lands again."

Legolas agreed whole heartedly. "That he will. However, I use that time to discuss your offer of land for an elven settlement in Ithilien. I have great hope that he will approve."

It was Aragorn's turn to smile now. "Splendid" he answered before another thought came to mind. "Did you happen to write the letter for your father that you wanted me to send with my envoy?" Legolas had been eager to send word to his father of his welfare and his intent to return home within a few months.

"I have it nearly completed" came Legolas' answer as the twins accused the two friends of being antisocial. A sudden brightness overtook the elf's features as he set down his cup and began to move towards the door. "I chose to leave out the bit about the dwarf" he added with a mischievous grin, "I feel like that might work better as a surprise."

"I do believe you are right, mellon nin" Aragorn answered as Legolas disappeared out the door and he retook his seat beside Arwen.

* * *

8:45.

Nilla was devastated. She had missed out on her opportunity to seize both the Queen and her revenge. Kalu and his men would be waiting in the passage, and she would have nothing to deliver to them. At least not yet. It pained Nilla to think that she would have to reschedule the abduction until a later date, but she had no choice. She had planned for and anticipated this moment for far too long to allow it to go down in smoke; and she knew that if she tried to get the Queen alone tonight she would arouse too much suspicion and her plan would be foiled. No, she would just have to regroup and think up some other way to achieve her goal. For tonight though, it was off.

And then she saw it. The answer to the prayer she had sent out. A simple gesture that became the solution to her problem. Aragorn reached out and placed a hand on the shoulder of Thranduil's son before embracing him with the same emotion that she had seen expressed on the face of the Queen when she wished farewell to her father a few days ago. An expression of love.

It had not occurred to her before that there might be another way to achieve her goal. Nilla had not realized before now that there was another who would be able to help her punish the King. She was determined to take away from Aragorn what he had taken from her. Aragorn had stolen her husband; the person she held most dear. And so, in return it seemed the most obvious thing to do was to take away his beloved bride. But now, a new way of hurting him entered her mind. A new target emerged from the shadows and put a smile back upon her lips. Aragorn loved this elf too. His love was encased in the words he spoke as he released the elf from their embrace. _"My brother."_

Nilla almost laughed out loud with giddiness as Fate presented her with yet another gift. With just over twenty minutes to spare, her prey separated from the rest of the herd. Legolas exited the room after some comment about a surprise involving the dwarf. The King didn't follow. None of them did; they were all engrossed in pleasant conversation with one another. None of them noticed her scheming expression. None of them noticed as she abandoned the work she was doing. And none of them noticed when she followed the elf out the door.

* * *

Legolas looked over the letter he had written to his father one more time before he folded it up. He knew that his father would be a little upset with him for not returning home right away. Thranduil would probably give him a long stern talking to for delaying his return to Mirkwood after the war; but at least this letter would satisfy his father's concern for his well being. The letter assured that he would arrive home in three months time, and that he would be bringing a friend with him. Legolas couldn't help but smile when he thought of the expression that would befall his father's face when he saw that his 'friend' was not only a dwarf, but the son of one of their previous prisoners from many years ago.

"_That will surely go over really well"_ he thought to himself with a shake of his head as he exited his chambers and began down the corridor, making his way back to where his friends remained. He didn't get far before he found himself brought to a halt as he rounded a corner and was slammed into by a woman who seemed to be in a hurry. She had turned the corner with great speed and ran right into his chest, surprising him and causing her to fall to the floor.

"I am so sorry, Milord" came the woman's response as she struggled to get to her feet. "Please forgive me. I was not looking where I was going."

"There is nothing to forgive" Legolas assured as he offered his hand to the woman he now recognized to be one of Arwen's ladies in waiting. "Neither of us was looking where we were going it seems" he added with a smile, hoping to ease the worry and sadness written on her features. She looked like she had been crying, and so he held onto her hand a moment longer. "Are you alright?" he asked.

The woman brushed him off. "Yes, yes, I'm alright" she answered quickly, as another tear escaped her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he let go of her hand as she started to push by him and make her way down another hallway. She nodded and hurried away from him. He watched her for a second. Something was wrong, but she didn't seem to want his help. With a resigned sigh he made to turn back to his original path towards the King's chambers. That was until he heard another quiet sob.

As Legolas turned back in the direction the woman had gone, he saw her standing near a doorway. She was facing away from him, with her shoulders hunched. She was crying. Legolas' frown grew. She might not want his help, but she certainly looked like she might need help of some sort. He looked around, and saw that no others occupied the halls where they were, and so he made the decision to try one more time and offer some assistance. He started in the woman's direction, and as though she sensed his approach, she rounded another corner and quickened her pace.

"_You could be scaring her or making it worse"_ his mind warned him as he followed Nilla down the darkened corridor. She had gone into a room on the left. He could tell because it was the only open door, and this corridor was a dead end. He was just about to enter when something stopped him. He froze in place and looked behind him. Something was amiss. Something didn't feel right; he could sense it. Just as he made up his mind to ask Arwen to send another of her ladies in waiting to tend to Nilla he heard a much louder sob from inside the room accompanied by a small crash. Without another thought he entered the room.

She had fallen to the ground again. She was on her knees, crying into her hands in the middle of the room. Her back was still to him. Legolas glanced around the room briefly as he made his way over to her. It was empty. He noted that if she was aware of his presence, she didn't seem to care anymore. Legolas moved so that he stood in front of her, and slowly knelt down so they would be at eye level. "My lady?" he began softly without touching her at all. "Should I send for some assistance?"

"No!" she exclaimed, looking into his eyes now. Hers were red with tears as she implored him not to do as he suggested. "Please don't bother anyone. I'm sorry, I'm just upset. I'll be fine" she assured.

Legolas wasn't convinced. He reached out a hand and placed it on her arm as a means of offering a bit of comfort. "Why are you so upset?" he asked in his most sympathetic tone.

"I lost my husband."

She hadn't looked at him when she said it, but Legolas could tell she was crying again. He was at a loss. Grieving widows were not company he spent a lot of time with; and while he could understand the hurt of losing someone you loved, he was definitely not prepared to offer words of comfort in this instance. He assumed that this woman's husband had been lost in the war and while his heart went out to her, he secretly wished he had sought Arwen's help as he had previously planned. He was clueless as to what he should say; and so he offered her an opportunity to tell him what she needed from him.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" It was a sincere question. He wanted to help; he just didn't know how.

Her eyes immediately locked on his. Legolas was a little taken aback by this, but remained still. Her tears had stopped but her cheeks were still wet as she answered him. "Yes" she began, with the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. "Could you help me up?"

Legolas let out the breath he had been holding and smiled warmly at her. Yes, that he could do.

"Of course I can" he replied as he started to stand and reached out to pull her gently with him. She was shaky, so while he guided her with one hand, he suggested that she wrap one of her arms around his neck to steady herself. "There you go" he began as he got her to her feet, "now we just need to..." his words came to a halt as he felt a small pinch on his neck and he flinched. _"A piece of her jewelry must have caught my skin"_ he thought as she quickly moved away from him. He was about to explain when he saw that he hadn't been pinched at all. No, he had been pricked by a needle of some kind. A needle attached to the ring the woman wore.

Legolas' hand immediately lifted to his neck as he looked at the women with utter confusion. She was smirking at him; all evidence of upset gone from her features as she covered the needle on her ring with a small red stone. Legolas felt his pulse begin to race faster and faster as he started to realize that he had been deceived by this woman; but for the life of him he could not figure out why.

"What... what was..?" it was difficult to formulate words and Legolas' head suddenly felt cloudy. His breath was coming short as well. "What... did you...do?"

"Poison" was her answer, and she provided it with a smirk that sent a shiver down Legolas' spine.

"_Poison?" _Legolas' mind was reeling. His whole body was feeling heavy as he immediately tried to make for the door. His vision was getting blurry and the disorientation was getting worse with each passing second. He took a step, maybe two, before the woman positioned herself between him and the door and grabbed his arms to hold him still.

"Get away" he wanted to yell as he did his best to shove her off of him. She laughed at his attempt and he felt his legs giving out beneath him.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere" she assured with a cocky expression. "You've been dosed with enough toxins to take down a full sized warg."

Legolas was furious. Not only with the woman who had drugged him, but also with just how much it was affecting him. He was powerless as he felt her push down on his shoulders; a move that easily brought him down to his knees. He wanted to fight her, to force his way past her but his body was giving out. The dangerous reality of his situation was hitting him; as he realized that even if he had a weapon on him right now, his body was too weak for it to be of any use. He felt himself lower completely to the floor, and he was aware of how she adjusted his fall so that he now lay on his back looking up at her.

"There, that's better" she said as she huddled over him. "There's no use in fighting it."

"Why?" It was the only word he could muster as his body started to shake ad his vision started to get darker.

Her smile grew. "Because Aragorn has two loves in his life. His beloved wife and his best friend...his _brother._" Her answer startled him as he stared up at her with uncertainty. Legolas wanted to cringe as she leaned down close and cupped his face with her palm. "You may not be as beautiful as the Elven Queen" she began purringly, "but sweet Valar, you're close."

Legolas felt consciousness slipping away, but he tried to fight it as he attempted to make sense of what she was saying to him. "Aragorn" was all he could say before she cut him off.

"Yes, Aragorn. Brand his name into your mind and repeat it over and over again to yourself, Legolas, because everything that is about to happen to you is his fault."

"Legolas!"

The woman froze and Legolas eyes widened as he recognized the voice that called out to him from outside the room. It was the voice of Gimli, and the dwarf seemed to be a little ways down the hall. His friend was looking for him. Hope stirred in his chest, and it provided just enough adrenaline for him to attempt to call out his friend's name.

"Gimli" he tried. However, his voice was muffled by the hand that immediately covered his lips. Panic started to set in as Legolas begged his hands to find enough strength to push the woman's palm away from his mouth. His friend was so close. So close. He just had to do something, anything, to let the dwarf know that he was in here and that he needed help. Yet, as much as he tried, the poison was too strong and Legolas felt his arms fall to his sides. His body had given up on him and as he heard the voice of Gimli get further and further away a single tear escaped his eyes as they drifted shut.

Nilla allowed the breath she was holding to escape when she felt the elf go limp under her hand. She looked down and saw that his eyes were closed. Gingerly she removed her hand from his mouth, stood up, and peered out the door to see if the dwarf was still close by. To her delight, he was nowhere to be seen.

"That was close" she whispered to the unconscious form of Legolas. "All it would have taken is for him to have checked this room and everything would have been ruined. Won't he hate himself if he ever finds that out?" She laughed, feeling quite proud of herself as a hidden door on the other side of the room opened and she was suddenly joined by Kalu and his men.

"Right on time" she applauded.

Kalu was about to shoot her a brash reply when he spotted the form laying at her feet.

"This was not part of the plan."

"This is the new plan" Nilla stated coldly. "Now do as we agreed and take him away."

Kalu hesitated. He didn't like this new plan at all. Neither did his men. "I knew you were crazy, but this is suicidal. He's going to be harder to control, and if he gets away..."

Nilla was not impressed. "You don't have to be afraid of him," she insisted with a cocky smirk that Kalu wanted to slap off of her. "He's unconscious for crying out loud."

Not that he would ever admit it, but Kalu was afraid. He had seen this elf in combat. He knew he was strong, and could defend himself against a large number. Whatever poison she had used on him must have been extremely strong to affect him so quickly. But would she have enough to keep him from becoming a threat? And while he wanted to argue this, he could tell that it would get them nowhere. Nilla was dead set on this, and they didn't really have time to fight about it. Soon enough Legolas' friends were going to come looking for him, and he did not want to get caught with the elf in this state.

"Fine" he replied curtly to her before turning to his men. "Tie the elf's feet and arms. And gag him too."

Nilla shook her head. "He'll be out for nearly a day" she insisted, "there is no need for that."

Kalu looked her dead in the eyes as his men bound the elven prince. "Like I said before, if there are any mistakes in this plan of yours, they won't come from our end."

To be continued...

**Author's Note: ****Well there you have it. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I made it a bit longer than I originally planned, but I'm pretty happy with how and where I ended it. Please let me know what you think by leaving me a review. The next chapter will be up soon. Thanks again for reading! I really appreciate it. **

**Messages to reviewers:**

_**Lemonbread**__: _As you can see, lucky for Nilla, she was able to make it work. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for the review.

_**ElvesAreEpic**__: _Thank you very much! I hope the suspense didn't cause you too much harm.

_**MaidMarian17**__: _Thanks a bunch! I hope you liked the twins in this chapter. And don't worry; they won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

_**robinsmum**__: _Thank you! I really appreciate your comment. I hope you enjoyed the chapter


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